Lawyers for Mark Meadows alleged in a court filing on Friday that the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is seeking to "vilify" him publicly by leaking his text messages to the press.
Why it matters: A recent massive leak of his text messages from CNN gave a raw glimpse into how Trump’s inner circle, congressional Republicans and conservative media figures reacted to the results of the 2020 election, the violence on Jan. 6 and its aftermath.
Driving the news: The DOJ alleges that the law, one of dozens targeting trans youth across the country, "discriminates both on the basis of sex and on the basis of transgender status, each in violation of the Equal Protection Clause."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday said he is redirecting almost $500 million from various Texas agencies to fund border security initiative Operation Lone Star.
The big picture: The move comes after Texas military department leaders said earlier this month that Operation Lone Star needed an additional $531 million to be fully funded through the end of the year, according to the Texas Tribune.
A New York judge has denied a request from former President Trump's lawyers to reverse a $10,000-per-day contempt fine against Trump.
Why it matters: Judge Arthur Engoron issued the fine after he found Trump in contempt over his failure to comply with a subpoena that was issued as part of a state investigation into the Trump Organization's business practices. Trump is appealing the contempt finding.
A second member of the far-right Oath Keepers militia on Friday pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction for participating in the Jan. 6 deadly Capitol insurrection.
Driving the news: Brian Ulrich will cooperate with the federal government's ongoing investigation into the attack, the Justice Department said in a statement.
The Federal Election Commission has unanimously rejected allegations that a network of progressive news sites had operated as a de facto Democratic political outfit, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The decision reaffirms that even biased or ideologically driven news reporting can’t be regulated as “political” activity.
Major injuries and deaths from trying to cross the wall at the Mexican border surged after the Trump administration built a bigger structure, a new report shows.
Driving the news: The number of patients arriving at the UC San Diego Medical Center's trauma ward increased more than five times since 2019 — when the border wall's height was raised to 30-feet along much of the border in California, — compared with the period before, UC San Diego physicians found.
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield announced that she tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday.
What she's saying: "I last saw the President Wednesday in a socially-distanced meeting while wearing an N-95 mask, and he is not considered a close contact as defined by the CDC," Bedingfield said in a tweet.
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia are among those suing the U.S. Postal Service to block its purchase of 148,000 gasoline-powered mail delivery trucks.
Driving the news: The state attorneys general, Earthjustice and the Natural Resources Defense Council say the federal agency severely underestimated the cost of the vehicles and the toll on the environment, according to the Washington Post.
As the Capitol Visitor Center gradually reopened after a two-year COVID-induced closure, Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell says he's reliving the Jan. 6 insurrection all over again.
Why it matters: Gonell was one of four law enforcement officers who testified before the House Jan. 6 select committee in July 2021 about their experiences defending the Capitol that day. He spoke earlier this year about the injuries and subsequent surgeries he endured and how they continue to hinder his daily life more than a year later.
Kansas legislators upheld Gov. Laura Kelly's (D) veto of a transgender athlete ban on Thursday after the state House failed to secure the two-thirds majority needed to override it.
Why it matters: The bill is one of dozens being legislated across the country as Republican lawmakers move to prohibit trans women and girls from participating in school sports teams that align with their gender identity.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Thursday that his office has subpoenaed ExxonMobil as part of an investigation into the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries' role in "causing and exacerbating the global plastics pollution crisis."
Why it matters: The U.S. only recycles about nine percent of produced plastics, according to estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency. Much of our plastic waste, which takes hundreds of years to decompose, ends up in waterways and poses a major threat to marine life and ecosystems.
Some members of Congress are calling for President Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act amid concern the diversion of Javelin anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine could leave the U.S. itself militarily vulnerable.
Why it matters: The president is planning to visit a Lockheed Martin facility in Alabama that makes Javelins next Tuesday. Having a ready supply of such potent and proven weapons is seen as vital not only to Ukraine but to ensuring Taiwan is prepared for a potential Chinese invasion.
Biden administration officials are debating how — and even whether — to lower some of former President Trump’s tariffs against China to help ease inflation, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: The administration has limited options to lower prices for American consumers but knows it will be punished in this fall's midterms if higher prices persist throughout the year.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Paul Manafort on Thursday, seeking almost $3 million in penalties related to the former Trump campaign chair's alleged failure to disclose foreign bank accounts.
Why it matters: Manafort was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison after being convicted on criminal tax, conspiracy and bank fraud charges as a result of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential Russian interference in the 2016 election. Former President Trump pardoned the lobbyist and political consultant in 2020.
